Clamp for cloth



Feb. 21, 1928.

F. LEEPER ET AL CLAMP FOR CLOTH Filed April 28, 1925 INVENTORS Fnmk leeper 101/13 6. Girard A WI/4W ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK LEEPER AND LOUIS B. GIRARD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO COLUMBIA MILLS INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CLAMP FOR CLOTH.

Application filed April 28, 1925. Serial No. 26,423.

This invention relates to means for clamping window shade cloth or other cloth, for stretching the same, or for holding the same in position for painting or sizing and the main object of the invention is to provide clamping means for this purpose which possess the combined qualities of strength, rigidity, and lightness and which are adapted to hold the cloth effectively and uniformly throughout the length of the clamping means and in such manner as to prevent tearing of the cloth. A particular object of the invention is to provide a movable clamp member of relatively light metal and having reenforcing means or strengthening means at its edge away from the point of engagement of the cloth and adapted to engage or contact with the fixed clamping member and throughout the length of such edge. A further object of the invention is to so form the portions of the fixed and moving clamping members which cooperate to engage the cloth that such cloth is held very strongly and uniformly between these members and tearing thereof is prevented. A further objcct of the invention is to provide a hinge or toggle construction for such movable clamping member of relatively light construction but at the same time possessing sulficient strength to hold the clamping member firmly in position. With these objects in view our invention comprises a fixed clamping member forme'd preferably. of relatively light material such as sheet metal and having an up-turned' flange at one edge adapted to form.

a groove and a movable clamping member of similar light material such as sheet metal and having at one edge a flanged or bent over portlon adapted to fit said groove and at its other edge a flanged portion adapted to stiffen said member at this edge, said movable clamping member being also adapted to 'contact with said fixed clamping member throughout the length of such other edge,

. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the clamp ing means attached to a supporting member. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the central or hinged portion of such clamping means.

' Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a partialvertical section of the cloth-engaging portions of the clamping members.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 66' of Fig. 2.

The clamping means comprises a fixed clamp member 1 formed preferably as a flat strip or plate and mounted for example on suitable supporting means such as a channel iron or other member 2, and a movable clamping member 3, also formed preferably of a flat strip both of such fixed and moving clamp members land 3 being preferably formed of relatively light material such as sheet metal. The movable clamping member 3 is hingedly connected at 4 to hinge or toggle members 5, such hinge connection being preferably made by means of a hinge pin 6 engaging bearings on said toggle members 5 and on a plate 7 secured to the flat portion of said movable clamping member 3 adjacent the upper edge thereof for example by means of rivets 8. The axis of the hinge connection at 6, between the toggle member 5 and the clamp member 3 is substantially in the plane of the fiat portion of member 3 and at the line of intersection of the planes of said members 5 and 3 and the bent over portion 30 of the movable clamping member is adapted to engage the fixed clamping member so as to act as a stop and bearing for the toggle means when the same has passed inwardly beyond, but is adjacent to, dead center position, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the force exerted by the toggle member is substantially in line with the flat portion of the movable clamping member. Said toggle members 5 are in turn hingedly mounted for example by means of hinge pin 10 engaging said bearings on said toggle members and on a hinge plate 11 mounted upon the fixed clamping member 1 or upon the ing member 1 is also provided at its lower edge with a flanged or bent over portion 16 forming a groove 17 within which the bent over edge portion of the movable clamping member is adapted to fit. Said groove also has two respectively inclined faces 19. In order to provide for the most uniform and effective holding of the cloth between these two engaging portions of the fixed and moving clamp members we prefer to form the clamp members 1 and 3 and the flanges 16 and 15 thereon in such manner that when they are in position to engage the cloth the two faces 18 of the bent over portion 15 of the movable clamping member 3 are substantially parallel throughout an appreciable distance to the two inner or engaging face portions 19 of the groove 17 on the fixed clamp member 1 so that when the cloth is inserted between such members as shown in Fig. l and the clamping members are brought into clamped position said members serve to engage the cloth at both sides of the groove 17 and throughout an appreciable distance at each oint of en a ement. lVe

also prefer to so form the engaging portions of the fixed and moving clamp members that the lower end of the turned over portion 15 on the movable clamp does not fit tightly against the bottom of the groove 17 when the cloth is inserted, so as to leave a clearance between the ends of the two flanges and cause the engagement of the cloth between the clamping members to occur at the opposing parallel sideportions thereof as above described and not at the bottom of the groove 17;

At the other edge of the movable clamp member 3 we prefer to provide a re-enforcing flange 23 formed for example by bending the metal of which the clamping member is made substantially at right angles along this edge as indicated at 20 and in order to increase the stiffening elfect of such flange we find it advantageous to again bend thematerial back a second time as at 21 so as to provide double the thickness of the metal at this re-enforcing flange, as indicated in Fig. '3.

'We also prefer to provide stiffening means for the toggle members 5, such stiffening means comprising for example a plurality ofi'longitudinally extending depressed or .deformed portions 22 made by stamping or pressing the metal into the shape indicated, said depressed or deformed portions extending lengthwise of such toggle members so as to give longitudinal strength and rigidity to these members.

The hinge plate 11 may advantageously be formed as a single strip or member of sheet metal or other thin metal, having fiat fastening portions 24 adapted to restagainst the fixed clamp plate '1 oragainst the supporting means 2 for attachment thereto by means of rivets 13 and outwardly extending portions 25 extending perpendicularly from such fixed clamp member or supporting means, and a bearing portion 26 7 is to be clamped is inserted in the groove 17 The movable clamp member 3 is then brought into position to engage the cloth at both faces 18 and is then forced or pressed into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 so as to firmly hold the cloth between both of said faces 18 and the opposing parallel faces 19 on the fixed clamp member. It will be noted that when the clamp is in this position it has been moved inward past dead center, that is to say past the line drawn from hinge pin 10 to the edges of the clamping members and the movable clamp is therefore firmly held in this position by the toggle action of the members 3 and 5. The force exerted by the toggle means 5 on member 3 is substantially in line with the fiat portion of said member. When in this position the re-enforcing or stiffening flange 23 at the upper edge of member 3 is in contact throughoutits length with the face of the fixed clamp plate as indicated at 30 and a very firm and rigid bearing is thus exerted at this point. It will also be observed that the .cloth indicated at 29 is held between both the front and rear faces 18 of the flange 15 on the movable clamp member and the corresponding front and rear faces 19 on the flange 16 of the fixed" clamping member, and that by virtue of the parallel disposition of such faces as above described the cloth is held throughout an appreciable distance at each of these points of engagement so as to very firmly hold the cloth in position and avoid tearing the same, as is apt to occur when the cloth is held simply along a' sharp line or edge instead of throughout rel,- atively extended surfaces as in the present instance. i

The clamp may easily be opened up for removal of the cloth therefrom by inserting a bar or tool under a suitable part of the togglejoint for example under one of the. members 5, or under the hinge joint 6 or clamp member 3 and prying outwardly past the dead center position when the pressure on the cloth is released and the same can easily be removed.

It will be noted that in the movement of the toggle joint into and out of clamping position there is an appreciable strain upon the upper edge of the clamp member 3, and upon the toggle members 5 and the hinge plate 11, and it is therefore of great advantage to re-enforce these members in the manner above described in order that they will withstand this strain and may at the same time be formed of relatively light metal so as to avoid a heavy construction.

We claim:

1. A clamp for cloth comprising a fixed clamping member having a flange at one edge thereof to form a groove, a movable clamping member connected by toggle means to said fixed clamping member and having a fiat portion and a flanged portion at an edge thereof adapted to cooperate with said groove to hold a piece of cloth, said movable clamping member being provided with a reenforcing flange extending along the edge opposite said first-named edge and adapted to engage the face of the fixed clamping member throughout the length of said opposite edge when the toggle 'member has passed inwardly from, but is adjacent to, dead center position to form a bearing for the toggle means, and the point of connection of said toggle means to said movable clamping member being substantially in the plane of the flat portion of the movable clamping means, so that the force exerted thereon by the toggle means is substantially in line with the flat portion of the movable clamping member.

2. A clamp for cloth comprising a fixed clamping member having a flange at'an edge forming a groove having plane respectively inclined inner face portions, a movable clamping member connected to said fixed clamping member by toggle means and having a flange at an edge adapted to cooperate with said groove to hold a piece of cloth, said flanged portion of the movable clamping member having two planes respectively inclined face portions'which when in clamped position are substantially parallel to the respective face portion of said groove and said flanged portions being so formed that when in such clamped position said inclined faces thereof fit snugly against one another while leaving a clearance between the ends of said flanges.

3. A clamp for cloth, comprising a fixed clamping member formed as a long flat plate having one longitudinal edge bent over to form a clamping groove, a movable clamping member formed as a long flat strip having one longitudinal edge bent over in such manner as to fit within said clamping groove and cooperate therewith to clamp a piece of cloth and having its other longitudinal edge bent over substantially at a right angle to the flat portion of the strip so as to form a stiffening flange adapted to engage the face of the fixed clamping member when the parts are in clamping position, and toggle means hingedly connected to said fixed clamping member and to the flat portion of the movable clamping member adjacent said other longitudinal edge the axis of the hinge connection between the toggle meansand the movable clamping memberbeing substantially at the line of intersection of the planes of said toggle means and movable clamping member, and the stiffening flange of the movable clamping member being adapted to engage the fixed clamping member when the toggle means has passed inwardly beyond, but is adjacent to, dead center position, so that when the movable clamping member is in clamping position said toggle means exerts a force directly against the flat portion of the movable clamping member and substantially in line with the plane thereof so as to hold the clamping member tightly in clamping position.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 22nd day of April, 1925.

FRANK LEEPER. oUIs B. GIRARD. 

